Member Ted Juerisson brought the issue to the board, noting that the brightness of the signs, such as the one located at the car wash on Rawson Avenue, can be overwhelming, especially at night.

"I want to discuss whether we want to regulate these or just let them come in and make conditions as they come in," Juerisson said.

Board member Louis Jost agreed that the lighting of LED signs can be an issue, and should be adjusted by businesses based on the level of brightness needed at a particular time of day.

Building Inspector Fred Baumgart said that the signs also can pose a distraction to drivers if the displayed images or messages change too frequently.

Baumgart said the city's existing sign code does not address LED signs. Staff is in the process of updating the code, much of which is outdated, he added.

"To tell you that it addresses any of the new technology… no," Baumgart told the board.

Currently there is only a handful of the type of LED signs the board is concerned with throughout the city, Baumgart said, although there are many LED signs that display only text.

"People with a message to display generally go with the LED signs that display text," Baumgart said, as those are much less expensive than signs capable of displaying TV-quality images.

As far as other communities' restrictions on those LED signs are concerned, "It's all over the place," Baumgart said. "A lot of communities just don't allow them. The city hasn't developed a stance one way or the other."

The board voted to table the matter until its first meeting in February, at which time it will consider LED sign regulations that other communities have used and draft recommended language on regulations for Franklin. Any ordinance changes would need to be approved by the Common Council, Baumgart said.

AT A GLANCE

LED stands for "light emitting diode."

A cluster of red, green and blue diodes - electronic components that allow electricity to pass in only one direction -together forms a full-color pixel.

LED panels are typically used in outdoor signage and as a form of lighting.

NEXT STEP

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